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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22758085">Ask Me Later</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/tinytonysnark/pseuds/tinytonysnark'>tinytonysnark</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Dorks in Love, Getting Together, M/M, Pining</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-02-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 11:27:27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,476</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22758085</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/tinytonysnark/pseuds/tinytonysnark</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompt: “You’ve got a date tonight and you asked for advice on what to wear but I’m so in love with you and damn you look good in the outfit I picked out for you”</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Steve Rogers/Tony Stark</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>294</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Ask Me Later</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>It’s Valentine’s Day.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Steve has a date with someone who isn’t Tony, on Valentine’s Day.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony is in Steve’s dorm room, on Valentine’s Day, helping him pick out an outfit for his date, who isn’t Tony.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>God, his life </span>
  <em>
    <span>sucks.</span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Natasha will no doubt laugh her ass off when he tells her once she’s finished gloating with her “I told you so’s,” and “I warned you this would happen,” but she’ll also let him eat all the ice cream she has so it won’t be too bad.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What about this one?” Steve asks, pulling out a white cable knit sweater.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“God, no, definitely not the sweater. Move over, let me take a look at your closet,” Tony says, springing up from the bed to look at whatever Steve has in his tiny little closet.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You know, this would be better if you’d tell me who your date is with,” Tony says, not turning to face Steve who’s sitting on the edge of the bed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Tony - I already to-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know - I know, you’d rather not say. Just would make this whole process easier is all I’m saying,” Tony tells him, and doesn’t think about how his best friend not only doesn’t feel the same way about him but also isn’t even comfortable enough to want to tell him who he’s seeing. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He might need Natasha to buy extra ice-cream tonight.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He thinks that’s what hurts the most. That they’ve been friends for over a year now, and</span>
  <em>
    <span> best friends </span>
  </em>
  <span>for what feels like longer, and they’ve told each other everything. Well, almost everything. Tony being utterly and completely in love with his best friend notwithstanding. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But apparently Steve has not only been crushing on someone else </span>
  <em>
    <span>and </span>
  </em>
  <span>asked them out, but he’s also never, not once, mentioned it to Tony. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I guess, something casual? Nothing too over the top or fancy, but I’m making the effort, you know,” Steve tells him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So the vibe you’re going for on this </span>
  <em>
    <span>first date</span>
  </em>
  <span>, on</span>
  <em>
    <span> Valentine’s Day,</span>
  </em>
  <span> the day known for its capitalistic ideas of love and romance, is casual?” Tony turns, tossing one of Steve’s plaid blue and grey plaid shirts in the trash pile - items of clothing that may or may not disappear from his closet to end up goodwill, if he has anything to say about it. “Well, I'm sure that it’ll all go down great. Het, out of curiosity, do you have wedding dates set? I hear Spring’s lovely.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ha, you’re hilarious. Truly, I’m in stitches,” Steve deadpans and Tony throws - yet another plaid shirt- at his face, which he dodges easily. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I mean, you know me though. It’s not like I’m the most casual guy around,” Steve shrugs. “I’m all about long-term planning.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Oh.</span>
  </em>
  <span> “Oh, so you really like them then,” Tony says, turning back to the closet. “Like, you want this for more than just a few dates?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, yeah. Definitely,” Steve answers, with no hesitation and Tony feels like he just set himself up to be kicked in the lungs, repeatedly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He takes a few steadying breaths, and when he thinks he can trust his voice says, “Well, your anniversary will always be easy to remember at least. V-Day. Oh, unless you forget, in which case, you’d be forgetting both dates, which, </span>
  <em>
    <span>yikes.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Steve laughs, his full bellied laugh and Tony doesn’t even need to turn and look to know he knows Steve has his head thrown back and there're crickles in the corner of his eyes, the way there always are when he smiles. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Here,” Tony says, turning to hand the clothes, and yup, he was right. There’s that smile and the eye crinkles. “White tee, these absolutely ridiculous skinny jeans and this jacket. Can’t really go wrong with a classic white tee. Especially not with your shoulders-” Tony says before he can stop himself.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Steve grins as pinks dusts on Tony’s cheeks. “Thanks Tony. Just give a minute while I change."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Steve heads to the bathroom and Tony flings himself onto the bed to scream into a pillow before, pulling his phone out oh his back pocket and rolling over to text Nat.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>
    <em>“Please, please tell me you’re stocked up on Half Baked?”</em>
  </b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nat responds less than 30 seconds later, </span>
  <b>“Oof, jumped right over Mint Choc Chip and PBC? It must be BAD BAD.”</b>
</p>
<p>
  <b>“He’s got his whole future planned out with this perfect date and they’re gonna live happily ever after and I’ll have to bear witness to all of it -”</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The bathroom door opens and Steve steps out and Tony turns his head briefly before going back to finishing his text to Nat but then his brain finally processes the image from his eyes and he snaps his head back, while also losing grip of his phone. Which falls onto his forehead.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ouch.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You look - Well, I mean I know I put it together so obviously you look great but -”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Steve smiles, all bashful and sheepish, the way he does and Tony thinks he's gonna combust. “Thanks for, you know, helping me look presentable. You know I'm not too good at this and Nat always says I dress like an old man but -”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, don’t be alarmed if all your plaid shirts mysteriously go missing. And are somehow found in a dumpster. That happens to be on fire,” Tony tells him, standing from the bed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay, they’re not all that bad -”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Not all of it is bad, but that pile over there,” Tony says pointing at the heap on the floor that seems to be nothing but a pile of plaid, “you’re never gonna see those ever again. We’re not even going to look at them too long.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Steve laughs, “I don’t even get to say goodbye?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Marie says we should say Thank You, but I honestly don’t know if they deserve that.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We should always say please and thank you Tony, no matter what,” Steve says, and Tony can’t tell how serious he’s being. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh hey, what time is your date?” Tony asks, tugging at Steve’s jacket to give his hands something to do. “Are they picking you up or are you? Or are you meeting them there? And where is there, by the way? And also, who are they? </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Steve laughs, then scratches the back of his neck. “Well, uh, funny thing. I haven't actually asked them yet.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Uh, say that again?  You just got ready for a date - which the other person is unaware is even </span>
  <em>
    <span>happening</span>
  </em>
  <span> in the first place?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah. No need to repeat, seems like you got it the first time?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Steve - who - </span>
  <em>
    <span>WHAT </span>
  </em>
  <span>- who does that?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I got too nervous to ask!” Steve says, cheeks going pink. “So I did this instead?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay. Okay, so what exactly is the plan here?” Tony asks, arms crossing. “You’re gonna - what? Show up and ask them, right then and there if they wanna go out immediately?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, the great thing is that I can just ask him right now, and if it doesn't work out, I'll just head back to my closet to change, no need to even leave the room, possibly for the foreseeable future, ever. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony tries not to go through the list of ‘he's’ that both Steve and him know and says, “So you’re gonna text him? Okay, great, do it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Steve’s stares at Tony with what can only be described as exasperation before pulling out his phone,  which, okay, if anything - </span>
  <em>
    <span>Tony’s </span>
  </em>
  <span>the one who’s exasperated because who even does this-</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His phone vibrates in his hand.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He thinks it might just be Natasha, probably wondering why he stopped replying mid text - but it’s from Steve.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Steve, who is standing right in front of Tony, giving him a hopeful look.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Steve, who sent him a text reading, <strong>"Hey, I’m wondering if you’re free for dinner tonight? I’ve got reservations at that fancy Italian place you’ve been wanting to go to for 6.30?"</strong></span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony thinks his heart might be beating so loud, Steve can hear it. “Steve - are you- are you asking me?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“To be my Valentine’s? Yeah,” he says, smile on his face. He juts his chin at Tony’s phone. “You gonna give me an answer?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tony tosses his phone onto the bed and drags Steve down into what is, objectively, one of the best kisses in Tony’s life. Steve’s arms circle around his waist and they’re both so close together, a piece of paper wouldn’t fit between them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Answer clear enough for you?” Tony asks when they pull apart, because hey, breathing is a thing. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Steve grins, “Don’t know, think I need a little more clarity,” before kissing him again and Tony’s brain promptly shuts down.</span>
</p>
<p>♡ ♡ ♡ </p>
<p>
  <span>They don’t make it to their reservation, but Natasha does attempt to break Steve’s door down to check on Tony since he wouldn’t answer her texts. She brought the ice-cream with her. </span>
</p>
<p><br/>
<br/>
<br/>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>My writing style is having 734 wips fics, disappearing for months after posting one, and them coming back around during a special occasion (i.e V-Day) but even then, posting the fic for it, a day late.</p>
<p>Also, neither one of them, ever, ever, forget their anniversary. </p>
<p>Come say hi on <a href="https://tinytonysnark.tumblr.com/">tumblr</a>!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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